The cold isn’t the only threat in Frostpunk 2. If you don’t pay attention to the needs of your city’s factions and communities, the growing tension between your people can spell the end of your settlement.
Communities and factions are the cornerstone of Frostpunk 2, and everything you do will affect your relationship with them. Meeting their needs will not only keep your population happy but also grant you larger influence on the political playing field so you can more easily pass laws. You can’t please everyone, though, and juggling the beliefs and desires of each faction and community is a never-ending balancing act.
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Frostpunk 2 communities vs factions, explained
Despite their similar naming schemes, communities and factions are separate entities in Frostpunk 2. Communities are smaller groups of people that don’t care all that much about politics.They only care about one aspect of the city’s progressdepending on their background. New communities can pop up as you explore the frostland and grow your population. Examples of communities include theNew Londoners,Foragers, andMerchants.
Factions, on the other hand, aremuch more radical groupsthatcare about all three aspects of the city’s directioninstead of just one. Factions originate from communities, and the mixture of communities present in your city will determine which factions pop up throughout the game. Their radical nature lets them perform special actions if your relations with them are high enough, but they will also engage in protests and rallies throughout the city that can disrupt your plans.
Both communities and factions play important political roles in Frostpunk 2, but factions are the ones you really need to watch out for because of theFervourmechanic. If a faction grows unhappy with your leadership, their Fervour will increase. As Fervour increases, a faction willbecome increasingly radicalized and increase Tension within the city, leading to an increase in violence and even a complete game over if Tension gets too high.
All Frostpunk 2 communities and factions
These are all of the communities and factions that you can encounter in Frostpunk 2:
All Frostpunk 2 communities explained
Let’s dive into more detail regarding all of the communities that you’re able to bring to the city in Frostpunk 2.
Frostlanders
Originally from New London, the Frostlanders set out into the frostland in an attempt to establish outposts and new colonies. The cold proved to be too much for them, but they still carry that dream of expansion with them. In Frostpunk 2’s story mode, they oppose the oppressive rule of the Faithkeepers and stand against their ideals.
This community valuesAdaptationover Progress.
New Londoners
New Londoners are dedicated to the city and its generator. The generator has kept them warm through the coldest whiteouts, so they believe that fortifying the city and forgoing expansion is the key to survival. This is another community that you’ll find in Frostpunk 2’s story mode. They share beliefs with the Faithkeepers but aren’t as fervent as them.
This community valuesProgressover Adaptation.
The Foragers are outsiders that found themselves outside of the generator’s warmth when the frosty apocalypse hit, so they were forced to adapt to the harsh conditions of the frostland in order to survive. Returning to the city, their perspective has been permanently altered after generations of survival in the wilds. They’re very similar to the Frostlanders, only they didn’t venture out into the frostland by choice.
Machinists
The Machinists descend from the mechanics that originally built the first cities and generators that helped society survive the frost. Automation, machinery, and technology are the key to survival in their eyes. Technology and invention allow for more efficient harvesting and less strain on the general population, leading to an abundance of resources that will keep the city safe even in the more dire circumstances.
The Lords are a pompous group where some claim to be descended from the upper class of the old world. The rest of them just love the old-fashioned ideals and traditional lifestyle of the old world. To the Lords, social ranks and traditional values are paramount. Social upheaval and progressive action caused the downfall of Old London in their eyes, so conservatism is the way forward.
This community valuesTraditionoverReason.
The Thinkers are a progressive bunch, looking to discard the ideals of the old world and abandon tradition to build a new society from the frost’s blank slate. To them, the ways of the old world serve no purpose but to hold the city back. The frost is a chance for a new beginning, and the Thinkers aim to create a new type of society where people embrace change and examine laws with a more critical lens.
This community valuesReasonover Tradition.
As you might expect, the Laborers descent from the working class of the old world. They worked in the mines and factories, and that hardship has shaped their worldview. They value the group over the individual, knowing that the only thing you can rely on in this harsh world is the person standing by your side. To the Laborers, if one of us falls, we all fall.
This community valuesEqualityoverMerit.
The Merchants are a fairly self explanatory community. They descend from pre-apocalypse traders and shopkeepers, and those old-fashioned ideals shape their vision for the city today. They’ll do whatever is necessary to come out on top. In a world with limited resources, only the best deserve abundance. The Merchants take competition to the extreme.
This community valuesMeritover Equality.
All Frostpunk 2 factions and their abilities, explained
These are all of the factions that can arise in the city in Frostpunk 2.
Faithkeepers
TheFaithkeepersare religiously devoted to technology and the city’s generator. They appear early inFrostpunk 2’s story mode, so you should be familiar with them if you’ve played the first few chapters. They want nothing more than to maintain tradition and keep everyone happy under the protection of the Holy Generator.
The Faithkeepers have a special community action where they canHold Evening Prayers, slightly raising your overall Trust level. If you raise your relations high enough, theirSerenity Sermonsperk activates, which reduces overall Tension. These abilities are incredibly helpful for maintaining order within the city.
This faction valuesProgress,Equality, andTraditionover Adaptation, Merit, and Reason.
TheEvolversare one of the first radical factions that you can encounter in Frostpunk 2’s story mode, and they can show up in your city during a sandbox Utopia Builder run as well. Opposing the Faithkeepers’ religious fanaticism, they seek to adapt to the endless winter and find ways to survive without solely relying on the city’s generator.
The Evolvers have a special community action calledTrain Workers, which lets them train your population to drastically increase their production efficiency. If you have good relations with the Evolvers, theirTreatment Assistanceperk activates. They’ll periodically heal your sick and injured people so they can get back to the Workforce more quickly. These abilities are fantastic for productivity and expansion.
This faction valuesAdaptation,Merit, andReasonover Progress, Equality, and Tradition.
The Icebloods are a radical faction that aim to create a society where the strongest individuals prosper above all else. They’re very similar to the Evolvers, but with one key difference. They replace the Evolver’s Reason with a focus on Tradition. To the Icebloods, a successful post-frost society rewards hard work and seeks to conquer the frostland, but old world class systems remain intact.
The community action for the Icebloods isVolunteer Expeditions, which increases your Food output by 80. If you raise your relations high enough, theTrust Fosteringpassive perk activates and overall Food output will be increased even further as long as your relations don’t fall too much. The Icebloods will keep you people fed no matter what as long as you accept their rigid social order.
This faction valuesAdaptation,Merit, andTraditionover Progress, Equality, and Reason.
Technocrats
As you’d expect, the Techocrats are a technology-oriented faction. They believe that a machine-centric society that relies on automation is the best path forward. To them, machines will create an abundance of resources and free up more time for the average citizen, culminating in a society where everyone is on an equal playing field and the sick, poor, and injured can be cared for. Their technology worship means they love the city’s generator, though, so frostland expansion is not on their agenda.
The Technocrats are a helpful ally to have if you want to research new technologies and automate the city’s districts. Their community action isOptimize Research, which will increase overall research speed. Once your relations are high enough, theMaintenance Optimizationperk activates and Materials Demand is lowered across the board. The Technocrats are great for players who want to focus on the city and automate their workload.
This faction valuesProgress,Equality, andReasonover Adaptation, Merit, and Tradition.
The Stalwarts are disciples of the captain from the first Frostpunk game, and they represent that game’sOrder path. In the original Frostpunk, Order was focused on productivity and control over the general population to ensure the city’s survival. The city comes above all else, and those who contribute the most are rewarded.
This faction valuesProgress,Merit, andReasonover Adaptation, Equality, and Tradition.
The Pilgrims are all about the frostland. As their name implies, they want to seek out new settlements and colonize the frostland to reduce society’s reliance on technology and the generators. The apocalypse is old news. Now it’s time to rebuild. The Pilgrims seek to rebuild society modeled after the old world, though, so rigid social structures are still part of their agenda despite their focus on adapting to the frost and taking care of everyone equally.
This faction valuesAdaptation,Equality, andTraditionover Progress, Merit, and Reason.
The Proteans are a driven by rational thinking. In their eyes, doing good things gets you good rewards. They’re also not beholden to the city or the generator. If there are resources to be taken, they should be taken. The Proteans don’t see any reason to stick to old world values in this new frozen world. They believe their worldview will create a stronger society where individuals contribute as much as they can and get rewarded for going above and beyond as they attempt to colonize the frostland.
Their community action isCoordinate Patient Care, which instantly heals sick people and returns them to the active Workforce. Good relations with the Proteans will activate theHealthcare Assistanceperk, which reduces overall Disease. The Proteans are perfect for productivity-minded players who want to maintain a strong Workforce.
Legionnaires
The Legionnaires are a militant faction with old fashioned values who believe that strong leaders and a productive workforce are the key to rebuilding society. Their Spartan mindset prioritizes the maintenance of the city and its existing rigid social hierarchies. There is no need to adapt to the frostland when the city’s generator sustains everyone well enough. Everyone is taken care of in their ideal society, however, and merit won’t lead to any additional rewards.
Because productivity is a core ideal of the Legionnaires, their special community action isRaise Prefabs, which instantly adds some Prefabs to your stockpile. If relations are good with the Legionnaires, then theGuard Recruitmentperk activates and the city will have bonus Guard Squads available to squash crime and quell uprisings.
This faction valuesProgress,Equality, andTraditionoverAdaptation,Merit, andReason.
The Bohemians are a progressive faction that aims to colonize the frostland and pass laws that place every citizen on equal footing, even those that cannot contribute as much as everyone else. The needs of the people come before everything to the Bohemians, and a happy population is the key to a successful society in their eyes. In order to survive, society needs to look forward rather than backward.
As such, their special community action isMindshaping, which increases Trust. As long as the Bohemians are happy with your leadership, theTrust Fosteringpassive perk activates and increases relations with the communities in your city at random. Since Trust is one of the most important things in Frostpunk 2, the Bohemians are a very helpful ally to have.
This faction valuesAdaptation,Equality, andReasonover Progress, Merit, and Tradition.
The Menders are an exploration-oriented faction that seeks to colonize the frostland and rebuild society as it was before its frozen fall. They look outward to the frostland so that society doesn’t have to rely on technology and generators to survive, but they still wish to maintain the social order from pre-frost society. Despite their reliance on old world values, they still desire to have workers on an even playing field where nobody can climb to the top and claim disproportionate amounts of resources or power.
The Menders’ community action isRescue Operations, which grows your population by bringing in survivors from the frostland. If you keep the Menders happy with good relations, then theirExploration Supportperk will make frostland expeditions much faster. If you want to scour the frostland forresources and rare materials, then the Menders are the faction for you.
This faction valueAdaptation,Equality, andTraditionover Progress, Merit, and Reason.
The polar opposite of factions like the Bohemians, the Overseers demand control and obedience. The city is all there is, and maintaining its machines is all that matters. Hard workers are rewarded, and those that are unable to contribute as much are shunned. The ways of the old world are paramount to the Overseers, and the societal cracks that led to its downfall cannot be allowed to show again.
Since the Overseers love a productive Workforce, their community action isOverdrive Output, which increases overall Production Efficiency. As long as relations are good with the Overseers, theVoluntary Patrolspassive perk activates and Crime will be reduced across the board. The Overseers can help you maintain a tight grip on the city, which can let you focus on more important things.
The Venturers stand at odds with factions like the Menders, seeking to reinforce the city and create a meritocracy where the strongest survive. They wish to do away with the values of the old world, however, and the frozen apocalypse is their chance to start fresh. While the hardest workers and most productive citizens are rewarded above all else, there’s no reason to keep the lower social classes subjugated as they were in the old world. To the Venturers, investing in your people is the best way forward.
The special community action for the Venturers isFinance Mercenaries, which adds some additional Guard Squads to your roster to help you maintain order. If relations are good enough with the Venturers, then theCity Investmentpassive perk activates and your overall Heatstamp income will increase. Overall, the Venturers are still about order and tight control over the city’s population, but those who remain in line have nothing to worry about.
Diego Perez
Currently serving as a Senior Staff Writer at PC Invasion, Diego Perez has been writing about video games since 2018, specializing in live service games like Destiny and Final Fantasy XIV. His work is featured at publications like Game Rant and Attack of the Fanboy (where he served as Associate Editor), but PC Invasion is home to his best work. When he’s planning content or writing guides, he’s yelling about Ape Escape or grinding Lost Sectors in Destiny. Plus, he has a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication Media Studies for Texas A&M University.
